49ers' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 9
The San Francisco 49ers' 31-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams didn't just snap a two-game losing streak. It put them in a great position to earn a playoff berth over the second half of the season.
According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the 49ers enter Week 9 with a 73 percent chance to earn a playoff berth and a 52 percent chance to win the NFC West outright.
When you consider that the Seahawks are atop the division, it feels like the Niners' chances are better than that. Seattle is still riding a phenomenal streak of play from Geno Smith, and it's fair to wonder how sustainable that model of success is given how bad the team was last year.
However, with the team on a bye week, there isn't a chance for Kyle Shanahan's squad to help their own cause this weekend. Instead, fans are going to have to pull for some other results on Sunday to enhance their team's odds of getting in.
Here's a look at three games they'll have a vested interest in on the Week 9 slate.
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET)
While the playoff picture is starting to form, we are still too early in the process to outright eliminate anyone. That being said, this is a spot where the Packers could be all but knocked out of contention.
Of the teams lurking outside the wild-card race in the NFC, the Packers are among the most dangerous.
While NFC fans might be enjoying the struggles of the Packers and their four-game losing streak, Green Bay is talented enough to put together a late run if it can get some momentum.
However, a loss to the Detroit Lions, who have just one win on the season, could be enough to put the Packers in a hole they can't recover from. It would set them up with a do-or-die game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10.
With the Packers sitting out the trade deadline, they are going to have to rely on those already in the building to help turn things around.
The morale might be so bad after losing to the hapless Lions that it would eliminate them from catching up to the 4-4 Niners in the wild-card race.
Rooting Interest: Detroit Lions
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m. ET)
Fans would likely be paying attention to this one since it's a key NFC West matchup. However, the Niners' playoff positioning will be directly impacted, so it takes on added importance.
The surprise Seahawks are one game ahead of San Francisco by record. With a loss, that lead would be down to half a game. Given the result of the 49ers' first encounter with the Seahawks (a 27-7 win), it's not a team they would be afraid of down the stretch.
According to FiveThirtyEight, the Seahawks are the biggest threat to win the division with a 34 percent chance.
The Cardinals haven't done much to present themselves as a threat to this point. Their wins have come against the Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints. None of them have a winning record.
Meanwhile, they lost the first matchup to the Seahawks 19-9 in Seattle. It would behoove the 49ers for the other NFC West teams to beat up on each other as much as possible. Thus, they should hope the Cardinals take a victory Sunday.
Rooting Interest: Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4:25 p.m. ET)
Rooting against the Rams is usually a given for any 49ers fan, but it's going to be especially enjoyable on Sunday.
Both the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers sat out the trade deadline and are sitting with losing records going into Week 9. That makes Sunday's game a pivotal one for both teams.
If the Rams find a way to win, it would offer a glimmer of hope for them to come back and be a factor in the NFC West. After all, they would be 4-4 and tied with the Niners going into Week 10.
That has a lot different feel than 3-5 with the 49ers and Seahawks both ahead of them.
From here on out, the Niners will likely be rooting against the Buccaneers. They are a team that is still dangerous if they can put it all together and figure to at least be in the wild-card race.
But their most likely path to the playoffs is through the NFC South. The Bucs have a 47 percent chance to make the playoffs and a 42 percent chance to win their division, per FiveThirtyEight.
Their pursuit of the divisional crown has little to do with the Niners who are either going to win their own division or be in the wildcard hunt.